Subvert the Dominant Paradigm

Menu

Here’s A Story You Should Definitely Read

I finally finished reading “Change Your Body, Change The World”, the new book from Frank Forencich of Exhuberant Animal. Just to get this out of the way, if you have any interest in making the world a better place to live, engaging in a positive way with the world around you, or simply stepping out of your day-to-day paradigm, you should read this book. You can buy the book here, and get involved in a powerful, effective movement.

In this post, I would like to address a few topics Frank covers in his book, and I want to ask some important questions that I hope you will consider seriously and answer honestly. But first, let’s start with a little bit of history…

When I first found the Exhuberant Animal website, I was intrigued by the idea of “play-based fitness”, and I was curious about the real-world applications of such an idea. I wondered if this idea was just some nifty marketing trick, put forth by an old hippie who was trying to make a quick buck by convincing us we all need to embrace our inner child. I wondered if there was any empirical evidence, or powerful testimony that could validate such an unorthodox idea. Then, I began reading more about the action and effort behind the philosophy. I watched a few videos on Youtube, and I listened to Frank speak a couple times, and I attended an Exhuberant Animal movement seminar. Then I was convinced. And now, I am going to try to convince you.

A vast majority of the problems and maladies effecting human beings the world over are caused by individual decisions and the negative consequences of those decisions. Granted, there are systemic and systematic factors that cause these problems to effect exponentially large populations, but the root of these problems are generated from an individual source. Obesity and hunger, poverty and super-wealth, relative sickness and health, and many other diametrically opposed problems all result, at some point, from individual action. Many of these problems are exacerbated by the fact that many people refuse to take responsibility for their decisions, and choose to remain ignorant to the far-reaching consequences of what might seem like a trivial situation. This process is not sustainable, and if we as a species continue to perpetuate this kind of behavior, we will not only destroy ourselves, but also effectively decimate the natural world as well. This situation is unacceptable, and it is time to take drastic measures.

And now is when you reach out and grab a copy of “Change Your Body, Change The World”, and you read through a couple chapters and you learn how to begin making a positive impression on the environment and people around you.

By covering a diverse array of topics, from anatomy to martial arts to the life of Huckleberry Finn, Frank Forencich delineates a simple, creative, effective solution to many of the problems we see around us. In essence, he suggests we remember what it feels like to inhabit our physical bodies, and he suggests we remember how to use our physical bodies in the most effective, efficient, effusive ways possible. To make this change even easier, he goes so far as to suggest a myriad of ways to start creating change in your life today. Here are a few to get you started…

Play more. That is, enjoying what you are doing, and do more of what you enjoy.

Watch less T.V. Actually, spend less time in front of any screen.

Use all of your senses, all of the time. More smelling, more tasting, more listening, more seeing, MORE TOUCH.

Push boundaries, refuse simple definitions, exalt the complex, avoid the complicated, step outside the lines, refuse to specialize, avoid all the little boxes people create to make themselves feel safe.

With all that comes more communication, more physical labor, more effort and thicker skin. I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea, and I think this is enough to convince you to find a copy of this book and read it, RIGHT NOW!

So here are the important questions. Are you happy with how your body feels right now? Are you happy with the world around you right now? Are you happy with how you body and your environment interact? Are you happy, period? Consider the answers to these questions, then drop a comment and let me know what you came up with.